LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Vector Control District said it's planning aerial spraying later this month in an effort to reduce the number of biting adult mosquitoes that will emerge this spring.

The district reported Wednesday that it will be making an aerial treatment of the marshlands adjacent to Clear Lake between the Clear Lake State Park and Lakeport some time in the next two weeks.

Vector control's winter mosquito surveillance program has detected a large number of mosquito larvae in the areas near the lake that become flooded as the lake rises in winter.

These mosquito larvae are an early-season floodwater species (Aedes increpitus) that hatch from eggs laid in the mud last year as the lake receded. When winter rains flooded the eggs, the larvae hatched and began developing in the still, shallow water.

As temperatures and day length increase in early spring, the Ae. increpitus mosquito larvae will pupate and then emerge as biting adults. These mosquitoes are the aggressive biters experienced every spring by people living and recreating near this area.

The application will be made by a yellow, biwinged crop duster flying at a low altitude over these marshy areas, the district said. Some of the marshy areas are near homes and people may experience a brief noise nuisance from the plane.

The district said the product applied will be Aquabac 200G, a biological larvicide used to control mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats.

Aquabac is manufactured by Becker Microbial Products Inc. Aquabac is based on the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti).

The district said Aquabac is a “highly effective and economical microbial insecticide” that is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for the control of larval mosquitoes in nearly all aquatic habitats.

Bti is highly selective for the control of mosquito larvae in water and does not affect plants, animals or beneficial insects that live in or drink the water, the district reported.

Aquabac is a formulation is a biodegradable solid corncob granule, similar to large sand particles, which are coated with the Bti, which breaks down rapidly in nature so there is no persistence of the active ingredient. The district said the use of a solid formulation reduces the drift onto adjacent property.

The weather conditions will determine when the district is able to make the application, so a definite date is not available at this time. However, the district will post that information on its Web site (www.lcvcd.org) as soon as a planned application date is set. If the application is canceled or rescheduled, that information will also be posted on the district’s Web site.

The Lake County Vector Control District said it makes every effort to use the safest product available to minimize any health concerns the public may have.

The larvicide label and the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) are available from the district’s Web site, www.lcvcd.org/, or may be requested by calling 707-263-4770.

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